Reinforced stocking



Feb. 5,' 1952 Filed Sept. 7, 1949 R. E. TILLES REINFORCED STOCKING 2 ISHEETS-SHEET 1 TWISTED MONOFIL (MAIN THREAD) 40 REINFORCING MONOFIL INVENTOR RCY E. Tll L ES ATTORNEYS Feb. 5, 1952 R. E. was

2 SHEETSSl-1EET 2 PIC-3.2.

INVENTOR ROY E TILLES ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STAT OFFICE REINFORCED STOCKING Application September 7, 1949, Serial No. 114,299

6 Claims.

My present invention relates to hosiery and more particularly to a novel reinforcement especially adapted to full fashion stockings knitted with a thermo-plastic synthetic resin monofilament, a primary example of which is nylon.

Heretofore it has been common practice in the knitting of stockings to introduce reinforcing yarn at various points, such for example, as the splicing, heel, sole, and toe in order to increase resistance to abrasion at the points of major wear.

It has also been accepted that the reinforcing yarn may be given the same or a different degree of twist than the main body yarn.

I have discovered that, in the case of nylon monofilament yarns from which the sheerest stockings are knitted, increased resistance to abrasion will result where the reinforcing yarn or monofilament is given no twist at all, while the principal monofilament is given a twist of from ten to twenty turns per inch.

The twisted yarn or monofilament which is used for the main body of a stocking, owing to the degree of beading caused by the twist and other inherent variations in the fiber geometry caused by the helical strain around the longitudinal axis, has a tendency after the pre-boarding and final boarding operation to resist elastically distortion from the particular looped arrangement in which it happens to lie.

Thus, although the longitudinal elasticity of a nylon monofilament is reduced by twisting, the tendency of the twisted nylon monofilament is to return elastically to the curved loop formation which is set therein after knitting, especially after the pre-boarding operation.

However, the twisting of the nylon monofilament roughens or tends in other ways to interrupt the surface of the nylon mon-ofilament and hence tends to decrease its resistance to abrasion.

Thus, ordinarily in the knitting of stockings, a compromise must be reached between, first, the maximum twist which will provide maximum elasticity in the knitted fabric and hence the closest possible fit and, second, resistance to abrasion which determines the conditions under which or the number of times a pair of stockings may be worn.

The utilization of reinforcing elements at the points of greatest wear makes it possible to utilize a highly twisted nylon monofilament for the main body portion of the stocking with all of the inherent loop-retaining elasticity of the knitted twisted monofilaments, while at the sametime 2 providing means for decreasing abrasion or the effects thereof.

My invention, therefore, has for its primary object the utilization of an abrasion resistant nylon monofilament as a reinforcing thread laid in those courses of the main threads or yarns which require reinforcement and carried though those wales which are located in the area to hereinforced.

The additional untwisted nylon monofilament, since its surface is smooth, unmarred and unbroken, has maximum resistance to abrasion; and, since it is untwisted, has maximum longitudinal elasticity.

The untwisted nylon monofilament does not have to the same degree as the twisted monofilament the qualities which form a resilient fabric, that is, the tendency to return to the initial curved loop after it has been distorted therefrom.

The introduction, however, of the untwisted nylon monofilament in the same course or courses with the twisted nylon monofilament permits the characteristics of these two types of monofilaments to complement each other.

In those areas where the untwisted nylon monofilament is introduced, the resilience of the fabric is maintained by the twisted nylon monofilament, while damage to the stocking by reason of abrasion is reduced by the untwisted nylon monofilament.

Thus, in the case of extremely sheer stockings where the primary purpose is appearance rather than wear, the utilization of my novel additional untwisted nylon monofilament in connection with the twisted nylon monofilament, by increasing the resistance to abrasion, increases substantially the number of times the stockings may be worn.

Since my invention resides in the character of the reinforcing yarn which is used and the combination of twisted and untwisted thermo-plastic synthetic resin monofilaments in order to produce my novel result, no changes in existing machinery or knitting practices are required and stockings may be and have been knitted in accordance with my invention on such existing machinery.

An additional carrier is introduced for the reinforcing yarn and is caused to travel over the desired area ofreinfo-rcement with the reinforcing yarn in a well-known manner.

This is a well-known practice and the commercial feasibility ofmy invention lies in the fact that this well-known commercial practice need not be changed in order to construct a stocking having the benefits of my invention.

The foregoing and many other objects of my invention will become apparent in the following description and drawings in which:

Figure l is a developed view of a completed full fashion stocking with the seam opened.

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged scheinatic view of a portion of the stocking of Figure l, including the reinforcement, taken from area ID of the stocking of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a still further greatly enlarged view of the twisted and untwisted nylon monofilaments which are used in the reinforced portion of the stocking, the threads of Figure 3 corresponding generally, by way of example, to the thread appearing at H of Figure 2 in the third course and third wale of the figure.

Referring now to the figures, the stocking 20 of Figure 1 is shown in a developed view wherein a completed full fashion stocking after the preboarding and boarding operations has been cut apart at the seam 2 i, 2 I.

In accordance with my invention, the leg 22 and instep 23 of the stocking 20 are knitted of a twisted nylon monofilament having from ten to twenty turns to the inch.

In other words, the monofilament prior to knitting or in the course of the knitting Operation is rotated about its longitudinal axis in a regular manner to produce a helical form having a pitch of from ten to twenty turns to the inch.

After the stocking is completely knitted and sewn along the seam 2|, a pre-boarding operation at approximately 265 F. heat sets the twisted nylon monofilaments in the knitted or looped form in such manner that they tend elastically to return to their looped form when distorted therefrom, thereby maintaining the resilience or elasticity of the fabric and causing the stocking to be a close fit on the leg and to continue the same degree of resilience and elasticity after washing.

The stocking is reinforced at areas 25 including the heel, sole, and toe and other areas where reinforcement is desired by an additional filament or composite filament which may be knitted in paralleling the principal filament in a manner and by machines now well-known in the art, and, therefore, requiring no specific description here.

My invention, as above-pointed out, relates to the character of the reinforcing yarn and the combination of a reinforcing yarn having specific mechanical characteristics and physical properties with a principal yarn also having specific mechanical or physical characteristics and properties.

These mechanical or physical characteristics appear to be present throughout the entire range of that form of thermo-plastic synthetic resinous material which may be drawn or otherwise formed into continuous or substantially continuous monofilaments.

The primary and best-known example of this type of material is nylon. Since, however, all thermo-plastic synthetic resins which may be drawn into monofilaments exhibit the characteristics of resilience, ability to acquire a desired set under heat and substantial longitudinal polymerization, I prefer that my invention be regarded as applicable to all of such materials or combinations thereof, as well as to nylon. 7 Thus, for instance, under particular circumstances it may be desirable in connection with a stocking, theprincipal thread of which is a nylon monofilament, to reinforce the nylon monofilament with a filament of an acrylic material.

Nylon itself is the generic name for the entire class of artificial fiber forming materials known as linear condensation polyamides. These polyamides may be derived from polymerizable monoaminomonocarboxylic acid and their amide forming derivatives, as well as from the reaction of suitable diamines with suitable dicarboxylic acids or amide forming derivatives of dibasic dicarboxylic acids.

While nylon, therefore, is a designation for a generic class of materials and while this material will hereinafter be referred to generically in this description, it must be understood that any thermo-plastic synthetic, organic material may be utilized in the same manner for the same purposes.

Various acetates, vinylites, urea products and other thermo-plastic synthetic resins may thus be utilized to form the monofilaments.

In Figures 2 and 3 I have shown, in greatly enlarged schematic form, the manner in which my reinforcing monofilament 30 is utilized at the-areas 25 (and the specific area Hi) to effect a reinforcement of the areas subject to maximum abrasion.

The monofilament 30 is laid in and knitted parallel to and together with the principal monolament 3i in the well-known manner for adding a reinforcement.

Of course, the stocking blank as originally knitted does not necessarily have the final shape shown in Figure 1 since this shape is achieved by the pre-boarding and boarding operations.

As seen in the fragmentary view of Figure 3, the principal monofilament 3| is twisted about its longitudinal axis to strain the same helically. Preferably the twist is of the order of ten to twenty turns 40 to the inch.

The reinforcing monofilament 30 has zero twist.

As previously pointed out, while the twisting of the principal monofilament 3| creates a more resilient and elastic fabric, it is more vulnerable to abrasive forces. The untwisted monofilament 30 has better longitudinal elasticity but has a smooth surface and hence is substantially less vulnerable to abrasion.

The combination of the two monofilaments 30 and 3! thereby produces, at the area to be reinforced, a fabric which has all the desired resilience and elasticity while at the same time it has substantially increased resistance to abrasion.

The character of the helical twist and the nature of the reinforcing yarn may be substantially varied in accordance with my invention.

The reinforcing monofilament may be of a different nature chemically as well as physically than the principal monofilament.

Also, the mechanical characteristics and physical conformation of the reinforcing yarn may be varied.

In the foregoing I have described my invention solely in connection with illustrative embodiments thereof. Since many variations and modifications of the basic concept of reinforcemerit of a twistedmonofilament of a thermoplastic synthetic resin by an untwisted monofilament of the same material will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, I prefer to be bound, not by the specific disclosures herein contained, but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A stocking containing a leg, instep, sole and toe in which the leg and instep yarn comprises a twisted thermo-plastic synthetic resin monofilament having of the order of ten to twenty turns to the inch; and reinforced areas with an additional thermo-plastio synthetic resin monofilament having no twist.

2. A stocking containing a leg, instep, sole and toe in which the leg and instep yarn comprises '5';

a twisted nylon monofilament having of the order of ten to twenty turns to the inch; and reinforced areas with an additional nylon monofilament having no twist.

3. A stocking containing a leg, instep, sole and toe in which the leg and instep yarn comprises a twisted thermo-plastic synthetic resin monofilament; and reinforced areas with an additional thermo-plastic synthetic resin monofilament having no twist.

4. A knitted stocking formed substantially of a twisted thermo-plastic synthetic resin monofilament; said stocking having a reinforced area comprising an additional therrno-plastic synthetic resin monofilament knitted in parallel to the twisted monfilament at the reinforced area; said additional monofilament having no twist.

5. A knitted stocking formed substantially of a twisted nylon monofilament; said stocking having a reinforced area comprising an additional nylon monofilament knitted in parallel to the twisted monofilament at the reinforced area; said additional monofilament having no twist.

6. A knitted stocking formed substantially of a twisted monofilament; said stocking having a reinforced area comprising an additional monofiiainent knitted in parallel to the twisted monofilament at the reinforced area; said additional monofilament having no twist.

ROY E TILLE'S.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,727,346 Kingman Sept. 10, 1929 2,251,268 Clawson Aug. 5, 1941 2,264,978 Hull Dec. 2, 1941 2,493,910 Boedecker Jan. 10, 1950 2,561,353 Page Mar. 21, 1950 

